Chennai, 17th June, Friday 2016: Friday morning was like no other, when renowned food connoisseur, celebrity food reviewer, actor and television personality Kunal Vijayakar entered the premises of Phoenix MarketCity Chennai, to commence his day his ‘Foodie Crawl’ at the mall.
It wasn’t a regular Food Crawl as Kunal found his way to some of the Premium F&B brands at Phoenix MarketCity using their Food Guide booklet. To go about his Food Crawl, he had exclusive access to this booklet.
The day started off with Kunal’s visit to Punjab Grill which was abuzz with activity as the chef and sous-chefs, swiftly arranged the pantry counter top with finely diced vegetables, juicy chicken portions and other condiments, by way of preparation for the cooking session that was to take place there. Chef Khasif welcomed Kunal to his kitchen that boasts of three specially made tandoors and they headed to the live cooking station where the Chef was in his elements. As the keen eyes of Kunal eagerly read the Chef’s every move, the aroma from the spices filled the air.
And finally it was done – Dhaniya Mirchi da Kukkad – a Punjab Grill special. Kunal was joined by few top food bloggers from the city at the table for the tasting of this masterly done dish. From his expressions it was clear that the bread soaked in this Chicken gravy dish exploded with flavors in his palette. Kunal was all praise for the chef as he stepped out of the restaurant to resume his Food Crawl.
He decided to have some Pan Asian cuisine and turned to the page on the Food Guide that led him to Noodle Bar, a fine dining outlet that serves the best of dishes from 14 different Asian countries. The Executive Chef, Anish, received him at the restaurant. As the Chef indulged Kunal into a foodie discussion on the history of the brand, its cuisines, the dishes started arriving to the table. It was Mandarin Chicken to start with, followed by the delicious Curry Basa Dumpling. The crowd favorite, Hokomin Noodle Bowl was served with Bok Choy Wrap Vegetable. Mushroom Dumpling concluded this mammoth list of signature Asian spread at Noodle Bar. The Foodie inside Kunal was visibly in food heaven.
Since Chef Anish is also the Executive Chef for Spaghetti Kitchen, which is an all-out Italian fine dining outlet, Kunal decided to do as the Romans does – try some Italian. The Parmesan Cream Cheese Baby Potato making its way to the table, it was accompanied by the lighter Bruschetta. The Chef added his commentary to Kunal’s narrative on the taste, giving him insider trivia on the magic of working with Italian cheese. Then came the Black Pepper Chicken, the most popular dish at Spaghetti Kitchen. And it was silently screaming delicious. Kunal was bowled over by this scrumptious Italian onslaught as he made his way to his next stopover.
Kunal wondered if the Food Guide had any suggestions for his craving of authentic Ramen. And there it was – Jonah’s Goes To Japan, a restaurant with an exclusive theme. Chef Anand welcomed Kunal to try the Paitan Ramen, a dish that is as illustrious as the Ramen story is. Kunal chowed on the the calm looking bowl of broth with Ramen noodles and it was taking him through a whirlwind journey of Japanese flavors.
Chef Anand convinced Kunal to try their local favorite, the Jonah’s Monster Burger. Kunal was convinced in his first bite of the burger that this certainly was no ordinary burger. Kunal caught a glimpse of the Spicy Prawn Crunch Roll that was listed proudly on the restaurant’s menu. And soon he was munching on the crunchy roll. Jonah’s Goes To Japan was a memorable trip as Kunal did go to Japan in his taste buds.
Kunal could wait no longer but to unveil this food guide to a select audience from the city as he wanted to share the story of his Food Crawl through the guide with them. Food Entrepreneurs, Socialites, Food Columnists, Radio and Print media personnel and members of various Women’s Clubs made it to the elite list of 30 invitees who had this tete-e-tete with Kunal at Annam Café, Design Hotel Chennai in Phoenix MarketCity. Without further ado Kunal launched the “Phoenix Food Guide” which was received by Ms.Nina Reddy from the Duchess Club. He described to the gathering how astonished he is to come across such a compact yet elaborate Food Guide for a mall.
In his words, “To note that this Food Guide is not for a city but a mall and this single place has so much variety let alone the number of restaurants that make up this Food Guide, is a staggering fact.” He further observed that that the guide which is themed on Globetrotting, is meant to provide a ‘visual tour’ of the diverse cuisines offered by the numerous restaurants at the mall, further enabling visitors to make an informed decision. He threw open the floor for questions from the enthusiastic audience and he was answering them in his typical one-liners that filled the place with giggles among casual banter. He took leave from the guests as he wanted to resume his Food Crawl.
Kunal was looking for some home grown traditional lunch menu and he found it in the form of Rajdhani, the flagship restaurant of Rajasthani cuisines. He experienced the bliss of home as diya, tilak, incense and flowers welcomed him at the entrance of the restaurant. Chef Hemji Mahraj who adores Kunal, whisked him away to a table where the special Rajasthani-Gujarati combine Thali was awaiting him. The lip-smacking array of roti, sabji, spicey gravies, pappad, salads, desserts and infinite other items that made up this dish was all the Kunal could ever ask for in a Thali meal.
As Kunal stepped out he geared up for an invasion into the Chinese territory - Mainland China, a restaurant that offers the complete oriental experience, was lurking right in the corner. He was received by Mr.Swapan Kumar Dutta, Business Head at Specialty Foods that manages the Mainland China brand. Kunal was losing himself fast in conversation with Mr.Dutta and just then Chef Sankar Mahakud unleashed the exquisite menu they have made for him.
Chicken Basil flavor Dumplings, Zucchini and Corn Dumplings, Wok Tossed Greens with Garlic, Diced Chicken with Assorted Pepper and Ginger, Whole Seabass Steamed in Light Soya and Ginger , Rambutan with Ice Cream, Mandarin Swirl (Mocktail). This wasn’t just a tasting but a feast from the orient. The ecstatic Kunal was beaming in all this glorious food fiesta. His culinary wits were met in all angles and directions with gorgeous and delicious food at this fine dining restaurant.
Kunal was still ambitious to try one last restaurant and his choice was Nando’s, the South African restaurant that drives people crazy with their Peri Peri sauces. Be win, the restaurant head, met with Kunal to lead the discussions on why the Nando’s sauce and naked flame grilling of chicken has kept them a notch above the rest along with their unique offering of the Portuguese/Mozambique cuisine. Kunal had the opportunity to check out their kitchen and got to witness how their marinated chicken cooked to perfection in the custom grill.
A flame grilled quarter Chicken portion that was doused in Extra Hot Peri Peri sauce with Fries was the first dish on the table. This was followed by the dramatic entrance of the Espetada Carnival with Extra Hot Peri Peri. Kunal was finding the heat of the sauce as true work of exotic chili magic. With this hot tryst, Kunal was deliciously delighted to call it a day and ended his Food Crawl.
Kunal met with the Chefs of the all the restaurants he had just visited in his Food Crawl to share pleasantries and his experience at their respective restaurants. An elated and eager group of Chefs along with Kunal were hosted at Haagen Dazs, the premium dessert place at Phoenix Marketcity. Kunal was gleaming with happiness at being able to share his experience with all the Chefs and wished them the best.
Speaking on the occasion Noel Vessaoker, Centre Director, Phoenix MarketCity, Chennai said: “We at Phoenix MarketCity wanted to give our esteemed patrons a truly unique take home experience. Who better to launch our latest Phoenix Food Guide, than the best known and lovable foodie in the country, Mr. Kunal Vijayakar. The book is sure to help our dear customers to make the right choice of restaurant based on the world platter of cuisines offered at the mall. We are grateful that Kunal joined us for the launch and entertained the foodie in all of us”
Speaking on the occasion Kunal Vijayakar, esteemed film personality and TV anchor said: “I'm very happy to discover the variety of cuisines in Chennai. Really enjoyed the experience of visiting the restaurants at Phoenix MarketCity, it threw light on the varied platter of world cuisines available all under one roof! The eateries are spread across the mall and makes shopping a delicious experience, as the the whiff of aromas awakens your taste buds!”
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